Sophia Loren poses nude for calendar

THE ARTICLE

Veteran movie actress Sophia Loren has stunned the entertainment world by posing nude for the illustrious Pirelli calendar. Ms Loren, 71, has apparently bared all for the camera, wearing nothing but her birthday suit and a pair of diamond earrings. Loren will be the oldest model to appear in the calendar, which is famous for attracting the world’s most beautiful and glamorous models and actresses to appear naked on its pages. The iconic calendar, commissioned annually by the tire manufacturer since 1964, cannot be bought in the shops, but is given as a gift to a select group of around 33,000 high profile customers and celebrities worldwide. Working on the calendar is also a prized and sought after job for the world’s top photographers.

A Pirelli spokesperson confirmed the news by stating: “Sophia Loren has posed for the 2007 Pirelli calendar. The pictures were shot…in America and she looks fantastic - You wouldn't think she is nearly 72 years old." According to the Reuters news agency, Loren “had a lot of fun, like a young girl”, during the shooting. It is an about-turn for legendary Loren, who apparently has turned down dozens of movie roles in her 90-film career that required her to reveal all. She has reveled in her reputation as one of Hollywood’s greatest sirens and managed to maintain her modesty. She reputedly once said: "You have to be born a sex symbol. You don't become one. If you are born with it, you will have it even when you are 100 years old."

WARM-UPS

1. SOPHIA LOREN: Walk around the class and talk to as many students as you can. Find out what students know about Sophia Loren. Ask people who they think is the most beautiful actress or model in the world. Share your findings with new partners.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

3. AT 71?: With your partner(s), decide which of the following things a 71-year-old should or should not do. Give each thing a score from 10 (absolutely no problem) to 1 (a definite no-no). Change partners and compare your answers.

____ Pose naked for calendars

____ Wear hip-hop clothing

____ Collect Disney items

____ Go on dates

____ Skateboard

____ Work on a farm

____ Raise children

____ Go to rock concerts

4. U-TURNS: Write down (or brainstorm) three possible U-turns members of your class might take in their lives. Talk about them with your partner(s). Change partners and find out which your partners would consider taking.

5. NUDITY: Which of the arguments below do you agree with? Talk about them with your partner(s).

I would never pose nude for the camera. Not for all the money in the world.

Posing nude for a glamorous calendar is the same as pornography.

The job of a model is an important one.

It’s not right for people in their 70s to pose naked for fashion.

Nudity should be banned from magazines, movies, calendars, advertising, etc.

It’s unfair that most photographs taken of the naked body are of women.

I would not object if one of my grandparents wanted to be a nude model.

Painting or drawing the naked form is not bad. Photographing it is bad.

6. SEX SYMBOLS: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the phrase ‘sex symbol’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.

Movie actress Sophia Loren has posed for Playboy magazine.

T / F

b.

Sophia Loren wore a special suit on her birthday.

T / F

c.

Sophia Loren has been a model for calendars since 1964.

T / F

d.

The exclusive calendar costs a hefty one hundred US dollars.

T / F

e.

Shooting for the photographs was done in America.

T / F

f.

Ms. Loren said she felt like a young girl while being photographed.

T / F

g.

Ms. Loren has refused many offers to appear nude in movies.

T / F

h.

Ms. Loren said that you have to be born a sex symbol.

T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.

illustrious

beauties

b.

bared

wanted

c.

commissioned

U-turn

d.

select

revealed

e.

sought after

relished

f.

pictures

specially ordered

g.

about-turn

snaps

h.

reveled in

distinguished

i.

belles

allegedly

j.

reputedly

exclusive

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.

bared all

select group

b.

birthday

all

c.

commissioned

all for the camera

d.

given as a gift to a

the news

e.

a prized and sought

of Hollywood’s greatest sirens

f.

A Pirelli spokesperson confirmed

suit

g.

required her to reveal

once said…

h.

her reputation as one

after job

i.

managed to maintain

annually

j.

She reputedly

her modesty

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the gaps in the text.

Sophia Loren poses nude for calendar

Veteran movie actress Sophia Loren has __________ the entertainment world by posing nude for the __________ Pirelli calendar. Ms Loren, 71, has apparently __________ all for the camera, wearing nothing but her __________ suit and a pair of diamond earrings. Loren will be the oldest model to appear in the calendar, which is famous for __________ the world’s most beautiful and glamorous models and actresses to appear naked on its pages. The __________ calendar, commissioned annually by the tire manufacturer since 1964, cannot be bought in the shops, but is given as a gift to a __________ group of around 33,000 high profile customers and celebrities worldwide. Working on the calendar is also a prized and __________ after job for the world’s top photographers.

birthday
illustrious
sought
stunned
iconic
bared
attracting
select

A Pirelli spokesperson confirmed the news by stating: “Sophia Loren has __________ for the 2007 Pirelli calendar. The pictures were __________ …in America and she looks fantastic - You wouldn't think she is nearly 72 years old." According to the Reuters news agency, Loren “had a lot of fun, like a young girl”, during the __________. It is an about-turn for __________ Loren, who apparently has turned down dozens of movie roles in her 90-film career that required her to __________ all. She has reveled in her __________ as one of Hollywood’s greatest belles and managed to maintain her __________. She reputedly once said: "You have to be __________ a sex symbol. You don't become one. If you are born with it, you will have it even when you are 100 years old."

born
shooting
shot
reveal
modesty
posed
legendary
reputation

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Sophia Loren poses nude for calendar

Veteran movie actress Sophia Loren has __________ the entertainment world by posing nude for the __________ Pirelli calendar. Ms Loren, 71, has apparently __________ for the camera, wearing nothing but her birthday suit and a pair of diamond earrings. Loren will be the oldest model to appear in the calendar, which is famous for attracting the world’s most beautiful and glamorous models and actresses to appear naked on its pages. The __________ calendar, commissioned annually by the tire manufacturer since 1964, cannot be bought in the shops, but is given as a gift to a __________ group of around 33,000 high profile customers and celebrities worldwide. Working on the calendar is also a prized and __________ job for the world’s top photographers.

A Pirelli spokesperson confirmed the news __________: “Sophia Loren has posed for the 2007 Pirelli calendar. The pictures were shot…in America and she looks fantastic - You wouldn't think she is nearly 72 years old." __________ the Reuters news agency, Loren “had a lot of fun, like a young girl”, during the shooting. It is an __________ for legendary Loren, who __________ has turned down dozens of movie roles in her 90-film career that required her to __________. She has reveled in her reputation as one of Hollywood’s greatest belles and managed to maintain her __________. She reputedly once said: "You have to be born a sex symbol. You don't become one. If you are born with it, you will have it even when you are 100 years old."

Change roles and repeat the role play. Comment in groups about the differences between the two role plays.

After the role play, talk about whether you believed what you were saying in your roles.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find information about the Pirelli Calendar. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s).

3. BARE FLESH GUIDELINES: Make a list of guidelines about how much bare flesh can be exposed on TV, movies, advertisements, magazines, etc. Show your guidelines to your classmates in the next lesson. Which guidelines did you agree or disagree with?

4. LETTER: Write a letter to Sophia Loren. Tell her what you think of her posing naked for a calendar. Show your letter to your classmates in the next lesson. Your classmates will write a reply.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. F

c. F

d. F

e. T

f. T

g. T

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.

illustrious

distinguished

b.

bared

revealed

c.

commissioned

specially ordered

d.

select

exclusive

e.

sought after

wanted

f.

pictures

snaps

g.

about-turn

U-turn

h.

reveled in

relished

i.

belles

beauties

j.

reputedly

allegedly

PHRASE MATCH:

a.

bared all

for the camera

b.

birthday

suit

c.

commissioned

annually

d.

given as a gift to a

select group

e.

a prized and sought

after job

f.

A Pirelli spokesperson confirmed

the news

g.

required her to reveal

all

h.

her reputation as one

of Hollywood’s greatest sirens

i.

managed to maintain

her modesty

j.

She reputedly

once said…

GAP FILL:

Sophia Loren poses nude for calendar

Veteran movie actress Sophia Loren has stunned the entertainment world by posing nude for the illustrious Pirelli calendar. Ms Loren, 71, has apparently bared all for the camera, wearing nothing but her birthday suit and a pair of diamond earrings. Loren will be the oldest model to appear in the calendar, which is famous for attracting the world’s most beautiful and glamorous models and actresses to appear naked on its pages. The iconic calendar, commissioned annually by the tire manufacturer since 1964, cannot be bought in the shops, but is given as a gift to a select group of around 33,000 high profile customers and celebrities worldwide. Working on the calendar is also a prized and sought after job for the world’s top photographers.

A Pirelli spokesperson confirmed the news by stating: “Sophia Loren has posed for the 2007 Pirelli calendar. The pictures were shot…in America and she looks fantastic - You wouldn't think she is nearly 72 years old." According to the Reuters news agency, Loren “had a lot of fun, like a young girl”, during the shooting. It is an about-turn for legendary Loren, who apparently has turned down dozens of movie roles in her 90-film career that required her to reveal all. She has reveled in her reputation as one of Hollywood’s greatest belles and managed to maintain her modesty. She reputedly once said: "You have to be born a sex symbol. You don't become one. If you are born with it, you will have it even when you are 100 years old."